Prince of the Dolls
by twinrose84
Summary: Aladdin's involved in the planning of a surprise art festival in Agrabah, but when Mirage traps and curses him into leading a puppet show with high stakes, will he and the others be able to thwart her evil plans?
1. Chapter 1: I've Got No Strings

_Author's Note: All characters, locales, and creations in the Aladdin series belong to the original owners and copyright holders. I'm just telling a fun story as an exercise in creativity. My original characters and the actual story itself are creations of my own mind. Take of that what you will, however odd it may turn. :)_

_For this new Aladdin story, I have an interesting scenario. It was partially inspired by a reverse Pinocchio tale. I guess I might as well say it - I don't think many people will have heard of the older animated movie "Pinocchio and the Emperor of Night" (James Earl Jones plays the voice of the villain, many people know him as the voice of Darth Vader from Star Wars and Mufasa from The Lion King). It's a story where Pinocchio's a real boy and he gets turned back into a puppet by several manipulations of his own doing. There's more to it than that, but it's actually an interesting little movie, and quite dark. So I decided to have fun pulling strings...I mean crafting this respective Aladdin story. =P_

_Mirage, from the Aladdin TV series, is the villain for this story. Warek, one of the merchants from one of my previous stories - "Fear Itself", makes an appearance in here too, but you don't have to read that story to get the events in this._

_I also ended up penning a few original songs in this story, "Just a Little More" and "Puppet Pace". You'll find the purpose they serve when those parts come up, but all the intermittent songs belong to me too, unless otherwise noted. (I actually haven't penned any songs in a fic since the Alvin and the Chipmunks stories I did - that was a while ago.)_

_Synopsis: Aladdin wants to give Jasmine and the Sultan a special gift by putting on a mini arts festival in Agrabah, complete with puppet shows, food and decorations. But things don't quite work out as planned when Mirage gets a hold of the news. She kidnaps and curses Aladdin under a spell that turns him into a doll, as part of a money making scheme she's conducting in the casino for Getzistan. If Aladdin can't manage to engage and entertain the audience every night that he's under the puppet influence, he could become a puppet forever! Can he find a way to cut the strings Mirage has him under?_

**Prince of the Dolls**

**Chapter 1: I've Got No Strings**

Agrabah was much busier these days than usual. Part of what defined the activity for the late evening in the city were several builders trying to construct special stands outside of the normal Marketplace. Merchants had closed down for the evening, and the dens were just becoming active.

Aladdin stood in the middle of a group of merchants who were constructing a puppet stand.

"Just a little more to the center, guys...there! That's it. Looks good." Aladdin grinned as he checked off a list on one of the long scrolls he kept his goals on. "Now all we have to do is paint it. This is gonna look great for the festival."

Iago was nearby, dragging a paint can with some difficulty towards the stand. Abu was on the ground tending to his own can of green paint.

"Geez, do we _need_ all of these colors? Seriously?" Iago complained. "Why can't we just be monochromatic or somethin'? Would save time and expense."

Aladdin folded his arms across his chest. "Somehow, Iago, I don't think you're all that concerned about how much we're spending on the festival. More like you're trying to get out of all the work we have to do."

Iago shrugged his wings sheepishly. "Don't blame me for penny pinchin' if somethin' goes wrong. Word of advice."

Abu chuckled beneath his paw as one of the merchants accidentally knocked Iago, with floating plumage, into one of the cans of blue paint. Iago wasn't impressed.

Aladdin stretched his arms over his head, his muscles tired from lifting most of the evening. It would be dark soon, and he'd have to go back to his hiding place to do some of his own painting. Genie was already there, making some of the dolls and puppets they planned on using for the festival. Carpet waited as Aladdin boarded him.

"I trust you guys will make sure things are running smoothly while I go check on Genie?" Aladdin asked.

Abu gave a salute while Iago groaned, still trying to shake the paint from his feathers.

* * *

The night was cloudless as Aladdin and Carpet sped through the city. The streets were mostly empty and it'd been a few days since anything had happened in Agrabah, besides an occasional brush with Mozenrath and Xerxes, Abis Mal and Haroud trying to concoct another scheme to infiltrate the palace, Mechanacles trying to build clone robots to fool the Sultan into thinking the robot was Aladdin and Jasmine...

Aladdin frowned. Okay, so a lot had happened in the past few days. But nothing that he couldn't handle.

When Aladdin and Carpet Arrived, Genie was in the middle of painting the faces on a number of puppet dolls.

"Hey, these look great! You've got the sets of them almost done!"

Genie beamed, wearing an artist's cap and smock. "Yes, it iz mah _finest_ work!" He donned a fake French accent as he held up one of the dolls in its attire. "What do you think? She iz pretty, _oui_?"

Aladdin held a doll that looked like Jasmine, with bright wide eyes, a small smile and beautiful clothes adorned with jewels. "Aww, Jasmine will love this. It's cute."

Genie reverted to his normal voice. "Aha, but you're thinking the real person's cuter, no?"

Aladdin felt his face flushing. "_Genie_..." He paused a moment. "Wait, if all of these dolls are of us, then what kind of stories are we going to perform for the play? Iago's already going to do some of the voices - might as well use his voice imitation for something. But...we don't have any scripts."

Genie frowned. "Huh, that IS a problem. We could just tell some of your many adventures through the deserts and defending the city. That'll draw a crowd."

"True, but which ones? We don't have a millenia to tell them all, just a few days. I wanna make this the best arts festival for the Sultan that there is."

"Uh, relax kiddo, it's just the first arts festival we're holding in Agrabah."

"That's just it though - it's the _first_!" Aladdin groaned. "I know you're going to say there's no pressure, but this could define whether we have others to follow. It's special too because it's a surprise - not just for Jasmine and the Sultan, but _everyone_ at the palace. I just want the city to make a good impression. Everyone's been working so hard on it." Aladdin took a seat on the bed near his window, overlooking the city skyline. He rested his elbows on his knees.

"And that is the reason why it will be g-g-_great_!" Genie said. "Everyone's giving it their best so it will be _the best_! So says Puppet Aladdin." Genie picked up a half finished doll that was similarly dressed to what Aladdin would wear if he were in his street clothes. His face wasn't painted yet and the puppet was notably bald and without arms. "We still have to work out how to give him the poofy hair and fez among other things, but..."

Aladdin laughed. "He does kinda look like me. Did you make one for Carpet and Abu too?"

Genie pointed to two puppets, one of a miniature version of Carpet on strings, while Abu's doll looked like a plush monkey. "Yep, all ready to go."

Aladdin suddenly heard a screech and crash behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see a trembling Abu holding a tiny stick over his head advancing toward the puppet that resembled him.

"_Abu?_ " Aladdin said, surprised to see that his friend had followed him.

Genie picked up Abu by the tail before he could advance much further. "Hang on a sec, monkey boy, it's just a puppet. It's not gonna hurt ya."

"Puppet?" Abu knocked a paw against the surface of the puppet when Genie set him down gingerly in front of it. The puppet slumped forward, making Abu screech before running and finding a place to hide down the front of Aladdin's shirt.

Aladdin grinned. "It's not real. It's just for the puppet show. I think it kinda looks like you."

Abu popped his head from the collar of Aladdin shirt, looked between the puppet and Aladdin and stuck out his tongue. "Bleh."

Aladdin laughed. "I don't think he likes his representation much."

Genie put a forefinger and thumb under his chin, looking at the puppet. "I think it might be the facial expression. Hang on, let's whip up a little semi-phenomenal magic."

Genie's magic transformed the puppets expression in a number of scary and weird ways that made Abu screech with fear or disgust. At least until the last one, and then Abu seemed content.

Aladdin shrugged his shoulders. "See? Nothing to it. Now I _thought_ you were supposed to be helping Iago with the merchants getting the painting done."

Abu winced, smiling sheepishly as he screeched a reply. Aladdin's expression fell into one of exasperation. "Genie, looks like we're going to need your help."

Genie flexed his muscles. "I knew my strength would be needed at some point."

The three of them left the hiding space, but none of them saw the puff of smoke that billowed behind them as a figure, lean and with cat ears, appeared.

* * *

Mirage looked around, a grin appearing on her face as she eyed the dolls. She purred softly.

"So, Aladdin and his companions are putting on a show. For the Sultan and Princess, no less. And they didn't even think to_ invite_ me? How _rude_."

She frowned, walking closer to the array of puppets Genie finished. "Such plans are going to put a dent in my aims in Getzistan. I was hoping not to have competition. But..." She picked up the unfinished doll of Aladdin. "This gives me an idea for the main attraction. That ought to make the venue more interesting. Especially if I raise the stakes to be a little...deadly."

Mirage started to laugh, and as her fingers closed around the doll, she squeezed part of it so that the head of the doll popped off, falling to the floor.


	2. Chapter 2: Unstuffed

**Chapter 2: Unstuffed**

Aladdin woke early the next morning and was about to leave before Jasmine's voice stopped him. "Aladdin, where are you going? I've barely seen you all week!"

Aladdin winced. "Just running errands in the Marketplace this morning, that's all."

She folded her arms across her chest, giving him a side-eye glance. "You're hiding something."

"What? _Me?_ I'm not hiding anything." Aladdin realized his voice sounded a little *too* eager to answer that accusation, but he swallowed against the lump in his throat, even as Jasmine leaned forward. He leaned back about an equal distance as she leaned in.

"You know, maybe I should go with you. It's been a while since I've gone in the Marketplace anyway..."

Aladdin was ready to protest, but then Jasmine smiled, leaning back and casually shrugging while looking over her shoulder at him. "But...Father wants me to help him on a few things right now and that will probably occupy me until this afternoon."

Aladdin recovered quickly, realizing he had to make up some excuse, or something that would be genuine and give him enough time to make free to spend with her. "Well, maybe we can do something this evening at least. It'll make up for the time we haven't been able to spend with each other." He put his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much." The last part of his statement was true; he did miss her, and he hated keeping secrets from her.

She put a hand against his chest. "Don't worry about it. I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight then."

Aladdin nodded. "Sure, I'll be there." They shared a brief kiss before they parted.

* * *

Aladdin's shoulders slumped as he stood just outside the palace walls, looking up at its towering pillars. He'd definitely dodged a rotten piece of fruit given his encounter with the Princess. "Great, I guess that means I'll have to do double the work that I was gonna do tonight. I hope I get enough done so that we can finish the preparations for the art festival before Jasmine catches on. And the Sultan too."

"So wait, does that mean Jasmine's on your case _now_ of all times?" Iago asked as he and Abu perched on Aladdin's shoulders. They moved through the morning crowd of the Marketplace, trying to buy supplies where they could.

"Yeah, so while I take Jasmine out tonight, you guys are going to have to work without me," Aladdin said. "But I'm going to try to do my part today so it's not as much work." He flexed one of his arms and gave a confident grin. "I think we can handle it since we only have so much more to do."

"Ugh, count me out, I need a break from all that painting. My sinuses can't handle the smell. ACHOO! ACHOO!" Iago sneezed several times, so much that he fell off Aladdin's shoulder, much to Abu and Aladdin's alarm. Genie appeared beside them, catching Iago and handing the bird a handkerchief.

"Geez, Iago, I hope that's not contagious," Genie said.

"It's an _allergy_!" Iago blew his nose.

Carpet suddenly appeared out of nowhere, frantically flying around them.

"Whoa, whoa, Carpet, slow down," Aladdin said. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Genie's brows rose as he tried to interpret what the rug mimed. "He's saying something happened at your place, Al. He said it's pretty bad."

Aladdin's brow narrowed. "Come on, then, let's see what he found.'

* * *

"Yeesh, what happened here? Wait...You know what? Maybe I don't wanna know. I just think it's creepy no one decided to tell me that you wanted to go into making creepy dolls for a living. Tell me that one of them wasn't me. Seriously - I don't like bad karma." Iago looked around at the puppet parts that were strewn across the floor of Aladdin's hiding place.

Genie looked horrified, about as much as Aladdin felt. "All my projects, my masterpieces...literally blown to pieces!" Genie took out his own handkerchief and blew his nose into it. Hard. Abu patted him on the shoulder in comfort while Iago gave him a side-eye glance.

"I'm sorry, Genie. Who would _do_ something like this?" Aladdin asked.

"I don't know, but I think whoever they were, they don't want this festival to happen. This is gonna set us back a day from when we wanted to put this thing on. And we still have the scripts to write." Genie sniffled a little, his eyes watery. "Maybe you were right. This is gonna be harder than we thought."

Aladdin clenched his fists at his sides. "Genie, don't worry about it. We'll handle it. And we'll find out whoever did this. If they thought we'd give up just because of this, they were wrong."

Genie nodded. "Thanks, Al."

Aladdin gathered up some of the parts and put them in a pile on Carpet, whom Genie was using as a transport and workstation. "While you work on these, I'll clean up and then start on writing the scripts. Abu and Iago, I need you guys to start rehearsing lines tonight while I'm out with Jasmine. I'll need you guys to check on the merchants to see how they're coming with the sets and booths, too."

Aladdin smiled a little even as he met the eyes (and fibers) of his friends. "Don't worry guys. We've got this."

_Just a little more,_

_There's nothing here to ignore,_

_We've got a mission not set to fail, higher heads will always prevail._

_Just a little more,_

_We'll work for everything in store,_

_We'll give what we need, it's all guaranteed._

_A little effort here, a little pick me up there,_

_It's nothing too hard if we know how to share._

_Just take all the time we need to prepare._

_So what if we meet a bump in the road,_

_I'll give you a hand and take on the load._

Iago frowned. "I'm glad you've got time to sing while we're bustin' our feathers."

Aladdin laughed. "You're the only one with feathers here, Iago. And I'm working too, you know?"

_Just a little more,_

_I'll keep taking score,_

_It's nothing we can't handle, if we take up the mantle._

_Try to understand, I'm here in command,_

_Take my advice, it's worth the sacrifice_

_Getting everything together's all worth the price._

_So keep at it just a little more,_

_And keep your heart at your core,_

_And when it's all said and done, you'll know,_

_it's all worth fighting for.*_

Aladdin sighed, wiping the sweat on his brow as he picked up the last of the scattered puppet parts. It'd taken a while to clean them up, and even as Aladdin had worked on the scripts between, he'd still missed pieces that he'd seen Genie needed. His eyes scanned the area. "I think that's all of them. How are you coming along?"

Genie held up his paintbrush. "Well, I did manage to get about half of the puppets put back together, it's gonna take me a little while longer to get the costumes on and faces painted. And for some reason, I couldn't find the parts for your puppet. Guess I'll have to start over with that."

Aladdin winced. "That is weird. Well, I'm going to see if anyone saw anything suspicious in the city. It may've been like this since last night, but it's still worth asking around."

Abu leapt on Aladdin's shoulder as he went to leave.

Iago rolled his eyes. "I hate to be pessimistic, but that vandal's probably long gone by now. They're not gonna find anythin'."

Genie snorted. "That's interesting coming from you Iago. I don't think I've ever know you to be NOT pessimistic. I think that would be your middle name."

Iago cut his eyes at Genie. "Really? And what would be my last name?"

Genie considered it a moment. "I wouldn't know. I don't think I have a last name. I'm just 'Genie of the Lamp', but since I've gotten my freedom, 'of the Lamp' isn't exactly binding. You on the other hand." Genie used his magic to put a flashing sign over Iago's head. Iago read it aloud.

"Iago the Pessimistic Parrot..._really?_ That's the best you could come up with?"

Genie grinned. "It does have a nice ring to it."

_*Author's Note - brief little interlude of a song there is called "Just a Little More." I have a few others peppered in the story, so I'll just add footnotes to the chapters when they come up._


	3. Chapter 3: Fall Little Puppet

**Chapter 3: Fall Little Puppet**

Aladdin and Abu saw Warek adjusting a few banners in one of the dens set aside to house some of the materials and sets for the art festival. He didn't look too pleased.

"Hey Warek, what's going on?" Aladdin asked.

Warek sighed. "Ah, Aladdin. I just returned to town with Dyna." Dyna was Warek's loyal traveling camel, who sometimes seemed human with the way she reacted to things. Aladdin didn't dare make the suggestion because Warek seemed oblivious to the fact. She snorted at them before turning her attention to something else.

"You sound like you had a long trip," Aladdin said, leaning against a wall.

Warek nodded. "After what happened last night, I'm surprised I got back so quickly to the city from the next kingdom."

Aladdin frowned. "Wait, what happened?"

"Several vandals apparently came into the city and wrecked a few of our sets. Not too many of them, but enough to set back our progress. No one saw anything, but judging from the sounds one of the witnesses heard, we think it might've been cats."

"Cats?!" Aladdin and Abu said at the same time.

"If you don't believe me, take a look at this." Warek held up one of the damaged signs, which was marred by...

"Claw marks." The words came nearly breathless on Aladdin's tongue. He ran his fingers down the strong impressions in the wood. "Somehow I think there may be more to it than that."

Warek raised a brow. "Why would you say that, my Prince?"

Aladdin told him about the vandalism of Genie's puppets. Warek's face fell.

"You think it could've been by the same culprit?" the merchant asked.

Aladdin shrugged. "I don't know, but it's all really strange that it happened in the same night. Just keep on your guard. We can't afford to have anything else happen so close to the deadline. And I think Jasmine might be to the point where she's going to load me with questions about everything soon. We're so close."

Warek laughed. "You are a mindful prince, indeed, Aladdin. We'll keep all our eyes watching. But you need not worry about your young wife. We'll surprise her and the Sultan soon enough."

Aladdin smiled. "Glad to hear it."

* * *

The night had been a nice one for Aladdin and Jasmine as far as their first outing together in a while, but things had gone wrong only after Aladdin dropped Jasmine back to the palace.

He lay flat on his stomach aboard Carpet as Jasmine looked up at him from the balcony, her arms resting on the railing. "Are you joining me inside?"

He shook his head. "As much as I would like to...there's still so much for me to do in the city."

She frowned, folding her arms across her chest. "Aladdin..."

He held up his hands, sitting up on Carpet. "I really do have a lot to do tonight."

"Too much to spend a night with me, or did you just _manage_ to fit me in your schedule enough for all of that? I actually had a really nice time."

"I did too, I just...Jasmine, I didn't mean to make it sound like that." He hated how he had to dance around the issue, the secret he couldn't tell. It would be easier to just tell her that he was planning a surprise for her and the Sultan, but he couldn't even let that much slip.

She sighed, turning away from him. He saw her shoulders dip a little. "I just wish that you would be more open with me. Just tell me, I can handle it."

He leapt from Carpet, meaning to approach Jasmine closer than where he stood, but he stopped short. "I can't. I just wish you would trust me."

"You can't, or you _won't_? There's a difference!" She whirled around, and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "And it's a little hard to trust when you're up and gone before morning and even in the evenings and I barely see you. You never say anything about it, either. And it's not that Father has you working on any special projects because I asked him!"

"You asked him?" Aladdin felt a little rush of fury boil in his belly. "Why couldn't you just ask _me_?"

"It's a little hard to when you're never _around_!"

He winced.

Jasmine ran her fingers through her hair. "You know what, never mind. Just...do whatever it is you think is more important than spending time with me."

"That's not..."

"Good _night_, Aladdin." She whirled around and disappeared behind the curtain. It was hard to miss the hurt and frustration in her voice, but Aladdin's tone hadn't been too far from that either. He turned, stepped on the rail of the balcony and fell to let Carpet catch him.

Carpet made a gesture that seemed like asking Aladdin if he was okay, but Aladdin couldn't say anything at first.

"Sometimes it doesn't feel like working so hard for something meant to be a surprise is worth it if the people you love are mad at you. Especially if it's the reason it makes them mad at you. You know what I mean, Carpet?"

Carpet hung his knobs sadly.

"Come on, let's get back to the city."

* * *

Aladdin made it back to check on the progress of the merchants, and it looked like the sets were nearly finished. He congratulated everyone on a job well done and had left Carpet to help them out on moving debris and materials. He was going to walk the rest of the way to his hiding place, it really wasn't that far.

And he needed to clear his head after the fight with Jasmine. He really didn't mean to make her upset, but she had a point.

"What's the matter, Aladdin? Having a little relationship trouble?"

Aladdin stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice. He turned toward it to see Mirage appear in a puff of swirling smoke, her eyes glowing in the darkness. She leaned against a nearby building.

"Mirage." Aladdin's fists curled at his sides. "What are _you_ doing here? And you were spying on me?"

She laughed. "Oh, I just happened to be waltzing around the neighborhood. And I wasn't spying on you, just had a lucky guess. A man's shoulders slumping like that can only be caused by a rift of love. _Too bad_ for you."

Aladdin folded his arms across his chest. "You still didn't answer my question."

"Silly me. Let's just say I came to offer you a task."

"For me to do _for you_? _No way_."

She appeared in front of him as he started to move away. "I don't take rejection well, just a word of warning."

"I would never do a favor for someone who's tried to hurt me or my friends. Especially...wait a minute." Aladdin trailed off, as his mind started clicking events and pieces together. Then he was angry.

"It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who vandalized the sets and destroyed Genie's puppets! Between the claw marks, the timing of those events - all of that was _you_!"

Mirage gave a steady clap of her hands. "_Bravo. _ Though I think you would've figured it out long before now. What was it, the claw marks on the signs? At least you got the obvious clue. I guess that makes it a question of why I did it. Wouldn't you like to know, or can you guess?"

"_I don't care._ The answer is _no_, Mirage."

"Silly boy, you make it sound like I'm giving you a choice." There was an odd, vibrating tone to her voice. Aladdin had turned away from her, but looked back in time to see her eyes glowed an odd color, and didn't see the blast of magic until it hit him in his stomach.

It lifted him off his feet and threw him into a nearby empty merchant stand. He groaned, even as he heard Mirage laughing. If she wanted to fight, he wasn't backing down. He crawled from the debris, and when he was sure she wasn't looking, he darted behind her, lifting himself up above where she approached the broken stand. The billowing sand hadn't yet cleared from the blast, so she couldn't see him.

"Oh, Aladdin, I didn't know you were such a _weakling_. Come on, you've got to take hits better than _that._"

"Actually, I can take my share just fine - the question is, can you?"

She whirled around, but not in enough time to stop the cascade of fruits that barrelled around her from where Aladdin released the crate above her head. She screeched as fruit pelted her.

Aladdin smiled as he lowered back down to the streets and bolted towards his hiding place. He had to buy himself enough time to tell Genie and the others what Mirage had done. He wasn't apt enough to guess her plan, but he knew enough of her involvement to know that she wanted to sabotage their festival.

Mirage appeared not far from where Aladdin just reached close to the roof of his hiding place though. She was still covered in fruit and appeared very angry. Her eyes glowed in the darkness.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Aladdin."

"Funny, I slowed you down a lot faster than you did me. What's the matter, afraid I might tell _my friends_ what you're really up to?" he challenged.

"You should worry more about what I'm going to _do to you_!" She aimed another several magic blasts at him, but missed. Aladdin was quick enough to dodge them, but he realized that she really *was* trying to keep him from telling Genie and the others, as the blasts drove him backwards, away from his space where he knew where they were.

He wasn't afraid of Mirage, but he knew somehow he didn't want to get hit by whatever was in those blasts. It was a different kind of magic than the initial one that Mirage hit him with. It even made the air crackle around him as he evaded it. He felt it down to his bones.

He caught his breath long enough to reach a corner down to the streets again. He pulled out the lamp beneath his tunic (having lost his turban somewhere in his run), and started rubbing it.

"You've reached the residence of the Genie of the Lamp, but considering I'm no longer bound by the lamp, I can't come to it right now. If you leave your name and message, I'll get back to you as soon as possible. And if this is Al, you've got me on speed dial."

Aladdin looked stunned a moment at the automatic message in Genie's came across as he rubbed the lamp. "Oh, come on Genie, this isn't time to be fooling around, I need your help. Mirage is trying to...OW!"

One of Mirage's magic blasts, even if she wasn't aiming directly for it, hit the lamp and made it burn so hot that Aladdin dropped it, causing it to skid into a dark corner of the alley in which he stood. He winced, holding his hand, and looked to where Mirage stood at the end of the alley, smiling at him.

"Found you."

Aladdin tensed, but glared hard at her, taking careful steps as he backed away. He realized she cornered him, but if he could do it right, he could get out of this on his own. Genie wasn't there to help him, no one was, but...

Aladdin looked out the corner of his eye, and saw his opportunity. He gave Mirage a tight smile. "Hey Mirage, what are you waiting for, if you're going to aim that magic at me, might as well have at it."

Mirage frowned. "Are you seriously challenging _me_? Do you even know how _powerful_ the magic I'm wielding _IS_? Fine!" She aimed two magic blasts at him. The first one missed him, and the second one hit right where Aladdin wanted it to, breaking a rope. He grabbed the end of it as a sack dropped down on Mirage's head. He heard Mirage screech below him in frustration, just before flipping upwards to the rooftop of a nearby building.

"That outta slow her down," he said with a grin.

But suddenly he didn't feel like smiling anymore as he nearly ran into Mirage, who appeared in front of him in billows of smoke.

"If you think you can make a fool of me, Prince of Agrabah, you can think again."

Before Aladdin could react, Mirage blasted him with magic that hit the center of his chest. The impact made him grunt, sending him falling over the side of the building.

Mirage smiled as she looked over the side of the building to where Aladdin lay motionless in the alley below. She'd saved him - in a way - using her magic to lower him safely where the fall would've broken him much like the puppets she'd destroyed in his hiding place.

"Don't worry Aladdin. I mentioned it before, I have something for you to do for me. And you don't get much of a say about it, I'm afraid. Besides," she purred. "There are certain things that are worse than death, and I have a few in my plans for you."


	4. Chapter 4: Missing

**Chapter 4: Missing**

Genie woke with a start the next morning as he saw the sun rise in Agrabah. "Oh man, I fell asleep. I was dreaming of dancing puppets again."

"Don't give me that image first thing in the morning," Iago grumbled. "You'll have me waking up with nightmares."

Abu screeched softly beside him, over scripts the two of them had memorized since the previous night.

Genie looked wearily at the sunrise, seemed to think for a moment, then nearly hit his head on the ceiling. "Ga-haha! It's_ morning_. T-minus an hour before the festival's supposed to start. Everyone up! Wakey-wakey!"

Iago was up then, as was Abu, who screeched and yelped when Iago knocked over something that landed on his tail.

Genie gingerly pulled the heavy paperweight off Abu's tail. The monkey blew on his tail as if it were on fire and winced.

Genie sighed. "If we're going to pull off the opening parade, we need to get into the Marketplace, pronto! Just hope we're not too behind where Al wants us to be."

* * *

The Sultan and Jasmine stood on the balcony at the palace overlooking the city. Below, in the heart of the city, music drifted up throughout the city, and there appeared to be people dancing in the streets along with a gathering crowd.

"Oh my word, what is this delightful music? I didn't hear of any celebration planned for this week," the Sultan said.

Jasmine smiled. "I didn't either, but it definitely sounds like they're having fun down there."

The Sultan laughed. "I do believe we should go see what all the commotion is about, don't you think, daughter?"

She nodded. "I'd like that." Even as she linked arms with her father, she felt her insides pinch at the thought of wanting Aladdin to be there with her. She brushed it aside. If he wanted to miss the unexpected and what seemed to be a fun festival, that was his problem. But it saddened her that he wasn't there to witness it.

Genie, Abu, Iago, and Carpet were already among the sidelines of the crowd of spectators when Jasmine and the Sultan came down.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY UNEXPECTED FESTIVAL!" Genie said upon sighting them.

Jasmine winced at his loud voice and sudden appearances with confetti, balloons, and streamers. "Genie, what is all this?"

"You didn't know? It's Agrabah's first ever art festival. We wanted it to be a surprise for you guys."

"Oh my. That _is_ quite a surprise. What a lovely spectacle," The Sultan said.

"Believe me, it was hard enough trying to keep you kids in the dark about it all this time. We've been planning for a while, but just started it today. We're gonna have it for a few days or so."

"Genie, that's great! I can't believe you guys planned all this," Jasmine said.

Iago groaned. "Yeah, had more of my feathers molting than anything else trying to make sure you guys didn't know about it. If Wonder Kid gets any more ideas about throwing surprise festivals, count me out. I'll go on a week-long vacation to Getzistan instead. Matter of fact, I think I might take up that offer in my recovery."

Jasmine's smile faded quickly. "Wait, Aladdin planned all this?"

Genie nodded. "He was the one who had the idea, people in Agrabah liked it and decided to pinch in. He made sure everyone was doing their part - with a little help of some semi-phenomenal cosmic powers." Genie lost his enthusiasm though when he saw Jasmine was nearly in tears. Abu and Iago both seemed surprised.

"Oh, dear Jasmine, whatever is the matter?" The Sultan asked.

"I should've known. We had a big fight last night and..."

"Oh man, he didn't even tell you he was planning a surprise? That it was the reason he was in the city all this week?" Genie asked gently.

Jasmine shook her head. "No, but it's not as if I gave him a chance to. I feel horrible about it. I need to find him and apologize."

Genie waved a dismissive hand. "I haven't seen him at all this morning, but I'll go find him. He's probably been so busy, he didn't even have a chance to meet you guys here."

"Thanks Genie."

"No prob. I'm just borrowing the monkey though." Before Abu could protest, Genie plucked Abu from his perch and went flying off into the distance above the crowd as the festivities continued.

* * *

"Let's see...according to my lamp tracker, Al should be somewhere around...here!" Genie turned the corner of the alley and made a motion like he was scaring someone. "_Boo! Surprise_, made you look! Huh?"

Genie realized the alley was empty. Abu seemed equally surprised.

"That's strange...maybe this thing is broken, but I could've sworn it said my lamp was somewhere around here."

Abu leapt from Genie's shoulder, went sniffing around the area and pulled the lamp, by its handle, from behind a nearby crate. It was covered with sand, which Genie had to brush off.

"It's not like Al to lose this at all. Either he's been so distracted that he can't keep up with things or...hey, I've got messages on this thing. Huh." He scratched the underside of his beard as he summoned the magic from the lamp to play back the last few recordings on his lamp.

The first was eerie enough, and from Aladdin.

"_Oh, come on Genie, this isn't time to be fooling around, I need your help. Mirage is trying to...OW!"_

It cut off abruptly, making Genie and Abu both wince. Abu then remembered something and started frantically screeching.

"Wait...You think Mirage was responsible for the puppets and the sets being destroyed? I guess Al figured it out after the fact, after he went out with Jasmine last night. I thought it was odd no one's seen him. I wonder if..."

He grimaced, looking down at Abu. "Something's telling me that I don't wanna hear the second message on this thing."

Genie gingerly rubbed the lamp's handle.

"_Hello, Genie."_ Genie cringed at the sound of Mirage's somewhat cheerful, mocking voice. "_I see that all of you have been busy planning a festival in Agrabah. Well, it just so happens that I have a festival going on in Getzistan, but it's only happening after hours when the moon is high. I thought I'd give you a heads up. If Aladdin's promised to be there, I don't see why you can't come either. Why don't you bring your friends too? It'll be quite the show. Ta-ta."_

The message cut off.

Genie flinched. "That's what I thought."


	5. Chapter 5: Cutting Ties

**Chapter 5: Cutting Ties**

Aladdin woke in a dimly lit room, and he noticed two odd things about his environment at first. The first was that he was lying on his side on the surface of a table. The second was that the source of the lighting in the room was a large candle which he could see the dripping wax streaming down the thing like a large waterfall.

The third thing shocked him the most - his reflection in a nearby glass. It made him gasp and spring to his feet. But since something tangled his legs, he ended up stumbling and falling backward with a loud clack.

"Hey, careful there, the first step's always a doozy when you've been napping." The voice came from behind Aladdin, and he looked up to see an small stuffed bear wearing a drum and uniform.

"W-who...Where...What?" Aladdin stammered. He struggled to find words.

"You must be new around these parts. I figured you weren't here yesterday for the festival. I'm Fitz, drummer bear extraordinaire. You are?"

"A-Aladdin. My name's Aladdin." Aladdin slowly stood between the tangling strings around him and wooden handles beneath his feet. He was still trying to get used to what he was seeing around him, let alone what he seemed to be. His whole body was smaller, his limbs more stiff, his eyes more glassy. He pulled up one of his pant legs to see that his knees were wedged at the joints. His bare arms and elbows revealed the same.

Fitz scratched his head. "Huh. Fancy that. You've got the same name as the famous Prince of Agrabah. He's got quite a name across the seven deserts. Fights a monster everyday, from what I heard."

"That's because I _am_ that Aladdin."

Laughter erupted a distance from where Aladdin and Fitz stood. A larger puppet stood over them, looking between the both. "Well now, that's a lie if I ever heard one, because the Prince of Agrabah isn't a puppet, but a flesh and blood human being. You, my friend," he jabbed a finger at Aladdin's chest. "Are not flesh and blood. You're a puppet."

Aladdin winced. "I'm...how..." He looked at his reflection in a nearby glass, pressing his small hands against it. "I don't even understand how I got this way. One moment I was fending off Mirage, and the next..."

Fitz's brows raised. "You fought Mirage? You definitely sound like the brave prince in the stories we've heard. None of us would ever go against her."

"Oh please, Fitz. You can buy into that argument all you would like, but the fact of the matter is, he's nothing more than a block of wood that has his strings tied up."

"I'm _not_ a _puppet_!" Aladdin whirled around to face the larger puppet. He grimaced a little at the fact that he hadn't expected the puppet to be so tall, towering over him like some of the buildings in Agrabah towered over the street.

The large puppet rolled his eyes. "I've heard that one before. Name began with a 'P', ended with an 'O.' And I watched his nose grow. Tell me what I don't know."

Fitz frowned. "Stop mocking him, Darbin." The bear addressed the larger puppet as if his own height in comparison - smaller than even Aladdin - weren't an inferior factor. "If he says he is who he says he is, then I believe him."

Darbin looked unconvinced. "You're quite trusting of someone who just showed from nowhere claiming to be a Prince. Why would he allow himself to be caught by Mirage, anyway?"

"She tricked me, that's how." Aladdin's fists balled at his sides as he spoke. "Last thing I remember she blasted me with magic. That had to have done something to me." He looked around the room to see it was the backstage to some performance area.

_Is this supposed to be the favor I'm supposed to do for her? Why? Maybe she's trying to draw attention from our own festival or something._

The thought of the festival he was missing and his fight with Jasmine came rushing back to him. He groaned, putting his face in his small hands.

"Aww, what's the matter? You're finally admitting you're the puppet you say you're not?" Darbin mocked.

Aladdin glared at him. "I am who I say I am, regardless what you think. I have to figure out a way to get out of here, before..." He trailed off as he realized that he, Darbin and Fitz have a larger audience of their conversation. Several puppets and stuffed figures peered from behind boxes and from within dollhouses and miniature palaces. There were even toy horses and camels looking at them - some weary, and some intrigued.

"Wow, there's...so many of you," Aladdin managed.

"What does it matter to you?" Darbin snapped. "Allow me to cut to the chase, good sir. You are _a puppet_ and the only way we're going to have to prove that you're a puppet is if we take drastic measures. Fair warning, it's not as if _you'd die_, but this might_ sting_ your stuffing a little. Or at least give you some splinters."

He pulled what Aladdin assumed to be a play knife from a dartboard and then threw it straight toward Aladdin. Aladdin barely had time to evade it as it landed on the surface of the table beside where he fell.

The "play" knife wasn't fake at all, especially from where Aladdin stared at it, wide-eyed.

"Have you lost your marbles?" Fitz demanded, whirling around to face Darbin.

Darbin snorted. "I warned him. My test didn't hit its mark, so I'm willing to try again." He pulled a sword from his side. "I wouldn't mind running him through with this just to prove _a point_. It's your last warning to tell us the truth, _impostor_."

Aladdin realized he didn't have much time to defend himself. He leapt to his feet and grabbed the knife. He wasn't a match for the larger puppet on attack, but he could work that out as he went along.

He was able to parry blows from Darbin's long, slender weapon. When he couldn't, dodging was his only choice. At one point, Aladdin used his momentum to roll between the legs of the larger puppet and run. But it was hard to do considering he had strings attached to him from a much larger wood piece, where it seemed like it was used to control his hands and limbs. If only he could...

He smiled as a thought occurred to him, but it faded just as quickly when he saw the larger puppet recover. Aladdin waited for Darbin to strike his sword down, before he dodged at the last minute.

The first few swipes did the trick, cutting Aladdin loose from the strings that were attached to him. That shocked the growing audience of toys, puppets, and otherwise plush animals who watched the fight.

Fitz's brows rose. "That's the first time I've seen a puppet get used to being out of his strings that quickly."

Darbin huffed with disgust. "Just means he's a fast learner. Doesn't make him any different from the rest of us."

"I. Am. _Not_. A Puppet." Aladdin snapped. "What do I have to do to convince you?"

"You can start by holding still!" Darbin brought down his weapon another time, and Aladdin stumbled back, the blow too close for comfort as Aladdin felt the air shift from the swipe.

"Will you stop this nonsense at some point, Darbin?" Another puppet darted close just as Darbin brought his weapon down, and none of them expected her to be in the path of the blade. She looked in horror as it came down.

"NO!" Aladdin just managed to push her aside, preparing himself to take the blunt of the blade.


	6. Chapter 6: I'm a Real Prince

**Chapter 6: I'm a Real...Prince**

"And that's the story, Jas. I think Al probably went after Mirage knowing something about her plan that we don't," Genie explained as he sat in the throne room with The Sultan, Abu, Iago, and Carpet.

Jasmine folded her arms across her chest. "Whatever it is, I think Aladdin might be walking into a trap. How fast can we get to Getzistan?"

Genie used his magic to shift into a timepiece. "By my time, probably just before nightfall. We'll have to call off the festivities in Agrabah until we get all of this sorted out."

Iago flinched. "As much as I said I wanted to go to Getzistan, this is NOT what I had in mind."

Genie, Jasmine, Iago and Abu all boarded Carpet and sped off into the night.

The Sultan sighed as he watched them from over the Agrabah. "Oh, I do hope all becomes well. The sooner, the better."

* * *

Aladdin stood in the place where the female puppet would've been if the sword had struck her. His chest heaved and sweat dotted his brow. He'd caught the blade between his palms just as it came down. All of the puppets watching stood in stunned silence, including Darbin.

Darbin stared particularly at Aladdin's hands. Aladdin felt the sting in his palms, but he thought for the sharpness of the blade, it would've injured him more, perhaps enough to be serious. The skin of his hand was somehow tougher than it would've normally been, on account of his being a puppet.

But it didn't mean he was incapable of being injured, as Aladdin saw a few drops of blood from his hands spatter the table top at their feet.

"It is as he said, he really IS a human!" One of the puppets cried out of the tiny spectators.

Darbin pulled back his blade, stunned. "I-I didn't know..."

Aladdin winced, the cuts on his palms stinging. He spoke through his teeth. "I was trying to tell you before you attacked me. I don't know how it happened, but Mirage put me under a spell. Now I'm stuck here, doing a favor for her that I don't even know the first thing about."

The pleasantly plump female puppet whom Aladdin defended stood, placing her hands on Aladdin's shoulders. "You're fortunate that he didn't run you through with his sword! Darbin's that impulsive sometimes, but he really means no harm. I'm Fara. You're lucky I'm a nurse. Let's see if we can get those hands of yours bandaged up."

Fara guided Aladdin to sit on a medium sized thimble, where she treated his hands and wrapped them in gauze. Darbin started to say something, but Fara shooed him away as she worked. Fitz wasn't too far from where Aladdin sat.

"Thank you," Aladdin said to Fara, before getting a better look at his surroundings. "But if I can ask - who are you guys?"

"We're a migrating entertainment group. From what Mirage told us, this is Getzistan," Fara said with a sigh.

Aladdin blinked, his eyes widening. "Mirage brought me all the way to Getzistan, for what? A puppet show? Why would she do that?"

He'd intended the question for himself, but Fara answered him. "This isn't just an ordinary show, my Prince. We entertain some of the most powerful demons across the seven deserts. Their laughter and entertainment keeps their magic at bay. Their happiness keeps whole cities from being destroyed."

Fitz nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes, we have a very important task on our paws...er...hands." He frowned to himself before turning to face Aladdin. "Getzistan's said to be especially vulnerable because of all the attention it draws. Something about the gambling dens."

Aladdin snorted, his huff making the hair above his brow flare up. "I'll bet. With all the dens here, those demons probably think they'll have more opportunities to make mischief. If Iago were here he'd probably fit right in." At the mention, the Prince winced. "No...it can't be."

Fitz looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Mirage planned all of this. It's not a coincidence. Agrabah's first art's festival, and she plans to hold a puppet show in Getzistan around the same time?" Aladdin snapped. "I can't believe it."

"Oh, you had better believe it. Because unlike your silly little arts festival, Aladdin, mine has actual stakes. Probably a little more relevant to you than you might think."

All the puppets gasped as they heard Mirage saunter in the room. Aladdin felt ill at ease, taking to his feet from the thimble as he saw her approach. Her normal sized figure seemed huge to him, as it did to the rest of the puppets and toys, who gasped and found places to hide where they could. The only ones remaining in Mirage's plain sight were Aladdin, Fara, and Darbin.

Aladdin didn't care how Mirage looked in height, he marched up near the end of the table to face her head on.

Fitz winced, hiding behind a tall box that belonged to a hidden (but shaking) Jack-in-the box. "Kid, I don't think you stand a chance against her...though I think it's a little too late to hide now."

Mirage eyed Aladdin with amusement, a grin sliding across her lips as she purred.

"What did you do, Mirage?" Aladdin demanded.

Mirage shrugged. "To you? What, the height factor didn't clue you in?"

"You know what I mean. I don't know what you're hoping to gain by turning me into a puppet, but you're not getting away with it!"

She snorted. "You already cut your strings somehow. Clever. We can't have you running around too far. I've grown too _attached_ to you in this form."

Aladdin turned around just in time to see several strings lurching toward him like knives. He dodged several, flipping and ducking where Mirage's magic tried to trap him.

But then the strings corned Aladdin and dug into his back, arms and legs, stinging like needle pricks. He yelped as Mirage used the wooden handles to lift him up in mid-air, dangling him by his strings.

"Purr-fect. Now that I have your attention, I'm going to set some ground rules about the favor you're doing. And you'd best listen for your own good."

* * *

She carried Aladdin past several turns in the large tent they were in. Aladdin caught glimpses of the outside and recognized well where he was.

She pulled back a curtain to reveal a setting of several impatient demons who were being served drinks, food, and staring towards a large stage. "You see that stage? That's where you will be performing tonight. I'm sure the company you've kept so far have told you what will happen if you disappoint this crowd."

Aladdin swallowed against the lump in his throat, but he clenched his fists at his sides. "So you're telling me I have to perform for them and keep them happy?"

"In order to save Getzistan and its surrounding kingdoms, including Agrabah? Sure. It's a three act play, three sections of performances. You could probably do that - I know how cunning you are. But I've added a little extra weight to the stakes. Just to make it more amusing."

Aladdin didn't like the mirth in her tone. She continued when he didn't say anything.

"Your puppet posse probably doesn't know this, but your puppet spell is attached to how much the crowd's entertained."

"Meaning?"

She smiled down at him as her eyes flashed. "The more they're entertained, the faster you lose your humanity, Aladdin. By the end of the night, you'll be nothing more than a shell of what you are now. And believe me, the experience of your insides turning to wood isn't exactly pleasant."

Aladdin felt sick at the thought.

"So you have a little interesting dilemma," Mirage said, smiling. "Save your kingdoms or save yourself? I personally like the odds of that."

"You won't get away with this! I'll find a way out of your stupid curse."

Mirage yawned as she carried Aladdin back to the other puppets. "Oh, you can certainly try, street rat. But with only such a short time before nightfall to practice, I think the sands of your hourglass are limited. Make them count. You won't get a second chance."

She threw the wooden puppet handles to the surface of the table, causing Aladdin to yank with the strings and hit the table hard. His head spun as he recovered.

"I know the rest of you are hiding from me, but I hope you hear this!" Mirage sneered at the other puppets. As Aladdin recovered, he saw Fitz, who still trembled behind the Jack in the Box. "You had better spend what little time you have left training your new friend in what you need to do for this play. If he fails, you all do. And you know what that means."

Mirage laughed, before strutting out of the room, throwing the privacy curtain down behind her.


	7. Chapter 7: Against the Odds

**Chapter 7: Against the Odds**

Jasmine, Genie, Iago, and Abu all arrived on Carpet just as the sun started to disappear bellow the horizon.

"Wow, this place looks busier than usual," Genie said, looking around, until he saw a familiar figure running up to greet them. Sultan Pasta Al Dente, the head of Getzistan, seemed very happy to see them.

"Oh, welcome to Getzistan, old friends. I trust you've heard of our traveling festival tonight. We have a wonderful array of activities for you all. Come, come!"

"Not right now, Sultan Al Dente. We're looking for Aladdin. Have you seen him?" Jasmine asked.

Noting her serious expression, the Sultan frowned. "Oh, I didn't realize he would already be here without you. I haven't seen him myself, but I'm sure he's somewhere around, just a matter of looking."

Jasmine started to say more, but Genie stepped in. "Uh, well, if you see Al anywhere around, just give him a heads up that we're looking for him. We'll probably run into him somewhere along the way."

The Sultan's smile returned. "O-of course! I certainly will. Ooh, I do hope you have fun. Such an honor to be graced with Agrabah royalty and company. You're among many of our colorful guests this evening."

Iago grinned as he flew from Jasmine's shoulder to the Sultan's. "Since you're courting us as Agrabah royalty and _company _and all, you wouldn't happen to have a discount for participating in certain activities tonight? Like the gambling dens?"

Abu rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother."

Sultan Al Dente nodded vigorously. "Of course! Participation is cut at 50% of the rates tonight. Feel free to indulge as much as you want, my fine feathered friend."

"YES!" Iago looked at Genie and Jasmine to see them frowning at him. He winced, taking to his wings. "On second thought, maybe I'll join after we find the kid."

When Sultan Al Dente left, Jasmine turned to Genie. "What was that all about? We could've told him the truth."

Genie winced. "As much as I'd like to have him and his men involved in the search, if we had too many people searching for Al around here, Mirage might get tipped off. Better we try to find Al without letting her know we're here looking for him."

Jasmine sighed. "Good point, but it's just going to be that much harder finding him through this crowd."

Genie put his hands on Jasmine's shoulders. "Don't worry. I guess if we're going to find him, we'll have to split up into teams. Let's see..."

Iago's eyes widened. "Ooh, ooh! I'll volunteer somethin'. I can go look in the gambling dens while you guys search the other display tents and taverns."

Genie gave Iago a firm glare. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Oh _come on_! Give me a _little_ credit. If I find the kid over there, I can send him to find you guys!"

Genie looked down at Abu. "How about I go with Iago just to make sure he doesn't get himself in trouble, while you go with Jas and Carpet thataway, monkey boy?"

Abu screeched and nodded in agreement, giving Genie a salute.

Iago groaned while Genie gave him a smart, knowing grin.

* * *

"Are you okay, Prince?" Fitz asked as Aladdin dusted off his sleeves.

Aladdin nodded. "For the moment, but I have a feeling things just got a lot more complicated." Given what Mirage had told him, Aladdin wasn't sure how to approach the news. He couldn't say whether she was bluffing, or if her threat had been real. He wasn't going to take any chances though. Aladdin decided he wanted to go through with the play, because if Getzistan, Agrabah, and any of the other kingdoms were really at risk, he'd have to take the chance entertaining the demons in the hall. As for himself, he'd have to figure out how to turn back to his normal form in the meantime.

"So what exactly is this play we're supposed to be rehearsing?" Aladdin asked as he saw the puppets and various toys re-emerge from their hiding places.

Fara - the puppet who bandaged Aladdin's palms - sighed heavily. "Quite a bit of a song and dance, and we do some of the same routines in our travels. But our last play didn't go over so well with the crowd. They didn't find it amusing enough, and while the city wasn't destroyed, the demons' anger did do significant damage." She winced at the memory. "Mirage wasn't happy with us, either."

Darbin, the tall puppet soldier, slumped his shoulders. "They weren't even impressed by my respective puppet march. I've the finest army to show their moves, and even that held a low reception."

Fara scowled at him. "That's because you always do it during Act 2, and it's the longest section of our play. Even I'm starting to tire of it."

Darbin glared at her, but didn't say anything.

Fitz held up his drum mallets. "Well, you know what they say - you've gotta play a different tune at some point."

Aladdin nodded. "I agree. Maybe you guys just need a different muse. Something to make them laugh or engaged in the story you're telling that's different from what you had before. If Genie were here...he could probably come up with some good ones." Aladdin bowed his head, his hair falling over his eyes.

Fitz nudged Aladdin with his shoulder. "Aww, come on, Prince, don't be like that. I think we've got more than enough inspiration with you around."

"Me?" Aladdin looked up at him.

"Well yeah. Your adventures tell their own stories, ya know? Give yourself a little credit, kid."

Aladdin rested his chin in his hand, musing deep in thought. "That's something similar to what we were going to do for Agrabah's Art Festival. I bet the guys are still kicking that off and don't realize I'm gone." He grimaced at the thought. "But if I can't be there, then I don't see why I can't use some different ideas here to help you guys."

"Atta boy!" Fitz wiggled his brows.

Aladdin grinned. "All right then, let's give them a show! I have a few stories in mind, and an opening act..."


	8. Chapter 8: Acting Measures

**Chapter 8: Acting Measures**

Mirage strolled through the crowd of demons that sat in the hall, patiently waiting for the show to begin. She had stakes in tonight's performance and knew if it fell through like the last time, she would have to conveniently slip out to avoid the wrath of the crowd. But she saw the opportunity as the perfect chance to destroy Aladdin and Agrabah, which was her plan all along. She wouldn't have to get her claws dirty while doing so.

The cursed traveling puppet group had been easy enough to find and manipulate, and she even knew that the curse she put Aladdin under would work. After all, one of the puppets _had_ been human before.

She smiled as she began to address the crowd for the opening act. It was worth risking the ire of a bunch of unsatisfied, rogue demons to destroy her mortal enemy.

Jasmine adjusted the hood of her cloak as she entered the hall. Abu screeched wearily as he stood on her shoulder just beneath the cloak.

But she stopped when she saw Mirage on the stage before the closed curtain.

"There she is, Abu! I wonder what she's planning now. I hope we can find Aladdin before Mirage knows we're here."

Jasmine decided to stay in the hall, realizing that a show was about to begin, but she wanted not to see what the players would do, but the puppetress.

* * *

"Demons and demonesses, sorcerers and souls, I give you - for your entertainment, our tenth puppet show, hosted in Getzistan tonight. It should be quite entertaining." Mirage cut her eyes to the offstage and muttered "hopefully" under her breath.

The lights in the hall dimmed, and the curtain drew back to reveal several puppets on stage standing under spotlights.

Then the music began, with the puppets starting to march in place.

**Fitz:**

_Paint a smile right on your face,_

_Try to keep up with our puppet pace,_

_Let's start the show, wait for it to begin,_

_Watch the triumphant celebrate their win._

**Puppets:**

_There's fighting,_

_And biting,_

_And the agony of defeat,_

_This show is not for the weak._

_There's cheer,_

_And fear,_

_You may even shed a tear,_

_But one thing that's clear..._

**All:**

_You'll be entertained!_

**Aladdin:**

_Watch and wait, see how the story goes,_

_Where it ends up, no one knows._

**Fitz:**

_Sound the bells, bang a gong,_

_As we all sing along._

**Darbin:**

_Three tales that'll make your heart race,_

_Right along with our puppet pace._

_You might observe a high-speed chase,_

_Or see someone smited by a mace._

**Puppets:**

_There's dancing,_

_And romancing,_

_There's no second chancing_

_You might miss something only glancing._

_There's passion,_

_And fashion,_

_Maybe some heads that need mashin',_

**Aladdin:**

Uh, that's a little morbid...

**Puppets:**

_It's just a story, kid!_

**Aladdin:**

_You've traveled far, but feel out of place,_

_Follow us in our puppet pace._

_Under night, we'll be your light,_

_Though the stakes might be tight._

**Puppets:**

_There's drama,_

_And karma,_

_Might wanna hold your llama,_

_Some scenes may make you scream for mama._

_There's charm,_

_And alarm,_

_And some might harm,_

_And maybe someone buys the farm._

**All:**

_Just wait and see, this is just a taste,_

_Follow us with our pup-pet pace!*_

Even as the entire room erupted in applause, Jasmine and Abu stood unnoticed in the crowd of clapping and whistling demons. They definitely went unnoticed by Mirage, whose jaw dropped.

Jasmine adjusted her cloak around her. "That was definitely Aladdin. Come on. We have to get Genie and Iago. If he's backstage, I don't think he's back there by choice."

Abu nodded and the two of them fled the hall.

_*Author's note: "Puppet Pace" is one of my penned songs for this story._


	9. Chapter 9: Carry On My Puppet Son

**Chapter 9: Carry On, My Puppet Son**

Fitz did a tiny dance behind the closed curtain as the puppets set up for the first act of the play. "You were right, Aladdin. An opening number was definitely what we needed. We already had more applause for that number than we had in our whole last performance!"

"I'm glad it worked. Looks like we shocked Mirage, too." Aladdin looked over his scripts once more. "Okay, so we're going to the first Act now?"

Darbin nodded, waving his long sword about. "Yes, and we start with a fight scene. Prepare yourself, Aladdin. Of course, I'll be careful not to truly injure you."

Aladdin laughed, holding up his own sword. "I'm ready." _ So far, so good_, he thought.

* * *

The first act of the play started with a story Aladdin based on a run in with Abis Mal, Haroud and his henchmen. The crowd of demons seemed interested as there were jabs, blows, and some well-timed humor in the mix, including a scene where Aladdin used his sword to cut the waistband of one of the puppets, causing checkered underwear to show.

Darbin played the part of Haroud, almost too well considering the puppet's stern intonation.

But towards the end of the first act, Aladdin realized his sword arm wasn't right. Not only was there a sharp ache going through it, but it was causing his hand to shake. He recovered quickly, switching the sword mid-battle to his other hand, and putting the one that shook behind his back. The crowd didn't notice, thinking it was a part of the act that the brave Prince was battling the villain with one hand. Neither did Fitz or Darbin, who just followed the cues Aladdin gave.

Fara definitely noticed. She wondered if the cuts on Aladdin's palms had anything to do with it. She wanted to pull the curtain then and there, but then that would've made the crowd angry and Aladdin appeared to improvise well on his own.

At the last moment, Aladdin leapt, his shaking hand finding enough momentum to grab and swing him around Darbin. He used his sword arm to knock Darbin's blade to the ground, and landed behind the puppet, putting his sword to Darbin's neck.

"This fight is over," Aladdin said, just before the curtain closed to a thunderous applause from the demon crowd. Aladdin saw Mirage roll her eyes just before the curtain went down. This performance was not going the way she planned.

Aladdin dropped his sword, slumping against the wall. Darbin looked equally exhausted.

"That was quite the battle. I didn't know you were that good of a sword arm, Aladdin. Even with one hand behind your back."

Aladdin smiled, but it was more of a grimace. "You're really good too. But we still have two more acts to go. Looks like this is gonna be harder than I thought." He looked down at his arm, tried flexing his fingers, but realized they weren't moving.

"Aladdin, what is it?" Fitz asked.

"I think something's wrong with my arm. And hand."

Fara folded her arms across her chest. "I knew it, I saw something was wrong while you were on stage. Let me have a look at it."

Aladdin tried to hold out his arm for her, but found it hung limply at his side. "I can't move it. It's so...heavy."

The two of them looked beneath Aladdin's sleeves and gasped.

Aladdin was suddenly aware of Mirage's words from earlier:

"_By the end of the night, you'll be nothing more than a shell of what you are now. And believe me, the experience of your insides turning to wood isn't exactly pleasant."_

The arm and hand had once been much like Aladdin's usual skin and bone, just a little tougher. But now it had hollowed out, becoming as hard as wood. Even his fingers seemed frozen in place on his right arm.

"So what she said was true," Aladdin muttered under his breath. "I really am turning into a puppet."

* * *

"So Mirage's in the same room where Al's putting on a puppet show?" Genie asked as Jasmine, Abu, and Carpet reunited with him and Iago. Iago's attention was preoccupied in a game, which Genie relented to when Jasmine arrived telling them she knew where Aladdin was.

"I think he's in trouble, Genie. I heard his voice - he was performing with a puppet that looked just like him. They were so life-like."

Genie suddenly stiffened. "Wait...You said there were a bunch of demons in the same room with Mirage. If my calculations are correct, and if I remember my spell book correctly...Uh oh."

Jasmine's brow raised. "Uh oh, what?"

"I don't think Al was controlling that puppet. Al WAS the puppet. Half-human, half-puppet anyway. We'll have to go undercover to get Al outta there, before he's...well, not human anymore."

"Genie!" Jasmine cried as he started taking off towards the direction which they came. He only looked back once to wave for them to follow him.

"I'll explain on the way!"

* * *

Fitz held up his paws. "Wait, wait, wait...You're telling me he's turning from human to a total puppet now?"

"That's what Mirage told me," Aladdin admitted. "I'm already half-human, half-puppet, but she said by the end of the night, I'll become a puppet forever."

"That's very...unfortunate," said Darbin, wincing. "Not that I would know anything about being a human, but going from one phase you're familiar with to another is..."

"You've made your point, Darbin," Fara said dryly.

"There must be something we can do," Fitz said. "I mean, it's not as if we can throw the play, because it means the magic from all those demons would level the next four kingdoms over."

"Including Agrabah," Aladdin added. "Look, there must be something among Mirage's things that explains this curse and how to reverse it without making the crowd angry."

"Aladdin, there's no reverse for the curse you're under," Fara said, her voice breaking.

Aladdin looked up at her. "How do you know?"

"Because...many years ago, I was under the same spell."

"WHAT?" Fitz and Darbin said what Aladdin could not as she looked at him, hugging her arms.

Fara continued, walking to the far end of the stage, and looking briefly at the crowd and watching as Mirage paced at a far corner of the room, waiting for the curtain to come up for the second act.

"Mirage cast the same spell on me several years ago when she crossed my hometown. This was before Fitz and Darbin became a part of our traveling crew. I was a human woman who had two young children and took care of my village's affairs. Mirage chose our city as a host for the party of demons that you see out there. Apparently they're a part of a secret society of magic wielders that she aims to please, so that she can keep a certain type of magic that she uses. While there were many in my village that welcomed her traveling party - thinking it would be good for business, I was one of the few who protested her arrival."

"And she attacked you?" Aladdin asked.

"She told me she wanted to meet with me that night. I had nothing to say to her, but being the woman that I was, I thought I'd hear her out. She stunned me with her magic, and the next thing you know - I woke up like this." She held the sides of her skirts out. "She gave me an ultimatum - either entertain the crowd of demons and keep them happy, or watch my village be destroyed. I obliged her, but then she conveniently forgot to tell me that I would remain a puppet forever."

"That's horrible. You never told us that, Fara," Fitz complained.

"I was always too ashamed. I left my family behind, they never knew what happened to me. They would never believe I became like this. After I became a full puppet, it took me ages to grow out of my strings, being able to move around the way I do now, even get used to the heaviness of my limbs. Plus there's the limitation of only waking during the night. By morning, I'm solid form again."

Aladdin didn't know what to say as he clenched his working fist at his side. "Did Mirage ever admit to where that curse came from?"

Fara shook her head.

"I'm still going to try. There has to be a way to keep the kingdoms standing and turn me back to normal. Who knows? I might find something to change you back, too."

"You give me false hope, Prince." Aladdin thought something bitter stood behind her words, though her tone was neutral.

"I don't want it to be false. Can you trust me?" He held out his hand to her. "Please?"

Fara hesitated, looking over to Fitz and Darbin, who looked solemn but nodded to her.

"Sure." She took his hand.

"Well then, it's a promise. We'll find a way. Fitz, Darbin, can you guys handle the second act with everyone? It's just the script we went over. Buy us enough time to get to the third act."

Fitz grinned. "Done! We'll give them a show, that's for sure."

"Let's go." Aladdin squeezed Fara's hand, before taking her past the stage and away into the darkness.


	10. Chapter 10: Surprise

**Chapter 10: Surprise**

"At least it was easy to find Mirage's tent in all of these places," Aladdin remarked as Fara helped pull him up to the surface of a table using a spool of thread. She'd found a way up to the table and used almost a full spool of thread to lower down like a rope to where Aladdin waited. He'd had to grip the thread with his one good hand and allow her to pull the thread until he was safely on the table.

"Well, if we're looking for any kind of spells to reverse this curse, we'd best hurry before she finds we're missing from the stage," Fara caught her breath before she helped Aladdin to his feet.

Aladdin looked around, spotting the large spell book on the surface of the table. The good news was that it was already open, to the table of contents no less.

"It's gotta be here somewhere...Spells...Spells. A-ha. Here it is. It really does have a puppet spell in this book. But it's over 200 pages into the book!"

Fara's shoulders slumped. "It would take us more effort than we have between the two of us to turn all those pages."

A voice startled both of them. "I think since I'm the bigger force at work here, I might be able to help you kids out. Though I don't think it takes semi-phenomenal power to turn a spellbook's pages."

"Genie!" Aladdin was relieved to see him, though from a puppet's perspective, Genie looked extraordinarily tall, more than usual. "How did you...?"

"Let's just say I got your message on the lamp a little late." Genie winced, looking between Aladdin and Fara. "Came here as soon as we figured out what happened, but I didn't think Mirage knew that puppet spell. It's an old one."

"I'd like to think she got that spell from the demon crowd she's entertaining," Fara said. "As well as the book here. They're a powerful magic bunch, and their entertainment is the price for being able to wield such spells."

Genie nodded. "You must be the lovely Fara."

Aladdin raised a brow. "How did you know?"

Genie shrugged. "I might've met a little drummer bear on the way here that told me everything that happened up until now. Looks like they're into the second act of the play you're supposed to be in. He told me you guys would be somewhere around looking for a way to break the curse. Had to slip around incognito to make sure Mirage didn't see me. Jasmine saw you guys on stage and figured something was wrong."

"Definitely. Mirage wants to..." Aladdin stopped midsentence, wincing as he clutched his stomach. Fara's hands rested on Aladdin's shoulders to steady him, preventing him from collapsing.

"That's not a good sign," Genie said, frowning.

Aladdin spoke between his teeth. "It's a good sign for the puppets. At least I know they're entertaining the crowd if it's making _me_ turn into a puppet faster. We've gotta find the cure, Genie. For the both of us."

"Righty-O, then!" Genie gave a thumbs up and went flipping through the pages of the spellbook to find the puppet curse. "Let's see. Just a bit of mixing chemicals and a little heat. I think all of these ingredients might already be in here, from the looks of it. You two are gonna have to drink an icky tonic I have to make, and you're just as good as cured."

"There has to be a catch to that," Fara said. "It can't be that easy."

Genie stroked the curl of his beard. "Yeah, about that... there may be some side effects. So says the fine print."

"Like?" Aladdin asked.

"You may not get your height back right away, if at all. And the fact that the chances of you getting back your humanity are 50-50."

Aladdin and Fara both winced.

"Better odds than nothin'," Fara said, but her voice betrayed her worry.

* * *

Jasmine, Iago, Abu, and Carpet were all in the same area as the demons. Jasmine was still in disguise in the heart of the crowd, with Abu under her cloak. Iago and Carpet had been turned into miniature versions of their normal selves to keep "incognito."

Iago was not happy about this. "Geez, these demons are way too easily entertained. A puppet show? Seriously?"

Jasmine put a finger to her lips to hush him, before speaking in a low tone. "I haven't seen Aladdin on stage since we were in here a while ago. It looks like Mirage is getting restless too."

"What do ya think the kid's doin'?"

"Genie went to find him. I'm hoping nothing's happened, but it's hard to say." Jasmine looked in the direction of where Mirage sat just moments before, only to find it empty. She gasped, but swallowed it down just as quickly.

Iago noticed at the same time. "Oh terrific - the cat's outta the tent, we're all doomed. Where would she go that fast?"

"I don't know, but if we don't find her, I have a feeling something horrible will happen."

* * *

Fitz looked nervous as Darbin stepped off-stage. "Everything's going fine at least as the demons are concerned, but I'm worried about the kid. We're almost halfway through the second act and he's still not back yet. Even with the Genie stopping by."

Darbin nodded. "It may be that they've been compromised, but I hope that isn't the case."

Fitz raised a brow. "Say, you have a lot more faith in that kid than you did first meeting him."

Darbin cut his eyes at the drummer bear. "I do believe he IS the real Aladdin now. I was...mistaken before. Between planning the acts for us to put on - the songs and stories - and his determination to break his and Fara's curse - I do believe he is the only one who can do it. His Genie seemed well enough, and it seems that his friends are here in support. I do not think any of them will give up so easily."

A screech behind them made shivers go down both Fitz and Darbin's spines. They slowly turned to see Mirage's glowing eyes staring down at them.

"You two better tell me _everything_ you know, or you'll be missing _every last inch_ of _stuffing_ inside you!" Mirage hissed.


	11. Chapter 11: Limbs and Tangles

**Chapter 11: Limbs and Tangles**

Genie held the large flask in his hands. "There we go, perfectly made and ready for you guys to drink. It's a little toasty from the heat, but once it cools a little, I think we can work with it."

"I don't think we need that much of the potion between the two of us, Genie," Aladdin said. "That thing's huge!"

"Well, maybe to you two little puppets. Were there any other puppets that were under the same curse that you two were?"

Fara and Aladdin shook their heads.

Genie scratched the top of his own head and sighed. "Well, at least if some of it spills, we'll have some left over."

A high pitched screech startled them all. "If I have anything to do with it - you'll not save a precious drop of that tonic!"

The three of them turned to see Mirage standing in the entry of her tent, her eyes glowing brighter than the candles that illuminated the area. Before Aladdin could shout a warning, Mirage sent a blast of magic that sent Genie spiralling backward.

The glass containing the tonic flew from Genie's hands, spiraling down to the surface of the table.

"Fara, look out!" Aladdin cried, and the two of them flinched as glass and the bulk of the tonic contents rained over them. The two were swept off their feet by the liquid rushing down, spinning and separating them across the surface of the table.

Genie coughed, scrambling to his feet as Mirage stomped over to him. "Heh, I guess you haven't had your warm glass of milk this morning? That would put anyone in a cranky mood."

Mirage hissed at him. "I don't think you've even begun to feel the burden of my wrath. And since I've acquired the power those demons have blessed upon me, I'm wondering just how effective it is on semi-phenomenal Genies."

Genie winced. "Being target practice wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

* * *

Aladdin struggled to catch his breath as he knelt on the surface of the table, coughing. He was soaked from head to foot in the tonic that was meant for him and Fara, streams of dark liquid still pouring from the edges of his damp hair. He shook his head, brushing small shards of glass from it as well. He clenched the sides of his arms with his hands, and realized in the same moment that his limbs - all of them - could move normally again. His hands as well. Even as the potion had spilled on him and Fara both, it still appeared to take away parts of the curse he'd been under. He felt human again and the pain he'd had from earlier had subsided.

The only problem was that he was still puppet height, and there wasn't much he could do to help Genie like this.

"Aladdin, help me!"

"Fara..." He looked around, but couldn't see Fara anywhere in his line of sight. It wasn't until he followed her second cry that he realized where she was - hanging precariously off the edge of the table. He hurried toward her, though not without slipping several times on the slick remains of the tonic on the table surface.

"Give me your hand!" he cried, reaching for her.

"I can't reach you!"

"Keep trying, you're so close!" Aladdin inched his hand closer to hers, and realized it was also human again, compared to the jointed limbs she'd had from before. The horrible thing about it was that if either of them slipped off the table, the fall would kill them, as opposed to when they were more in their puppet forms.

It was enough that he reached forward and grabbed her hand and gripped as tight as he could. He pulled her up, but had to maintain his own balance against the slick surface of the table. He was too to the edge, struggling to keep from falling over himself.

With great effort, Aladdin used the last of his strength to pull Fara to safety. The two of them sprawled on the surface of the table.

"Thank you, dear Prince. That was quite a way up from the ground."

Aladdin shook his head, using his fingers to rake back damp strands of his hair. "No kidding. Now I have to figure out how to help Genie. Mirage isn't letting up on him at all."

"I think we can help a little with that," a familiar voice came from a distance away. Aladdin looked up to see Jasmine looking down at them, concerned. Abu was on her shoulder, and Carpet floating by her side. "Are you two okay? We heard what happened from Fitz and Darbin."

Aladdin grinned. "Yeah, I'm glad you guys are here. " He whistled and Carpet's knobs responded. "Go help Genie, Carpet. Hurry!"

Carpet rushed over to where Mirage was about to aim another magic blast at Genie, but wrapped himself over her eyes so that the blast missed Genie and hit a mirror, to reflect the blast.

Carpet flew away from Mirage in time to dodge the blast, but Mirage noticed - too late - that her own magic headed towards her. It hit, surrounding her in a green light, just before shrinking her to nothing more than a small toy cat.

Genie started laughing as he picked up the toy cat to examine it closer. "Look at that, she's too cute. Like a little chew toy. I don't think she's going to be too happy whenever this spell wears off. Thanks, Rug Man."

Genie put the squeaking toy cat that was Mirage (because it was obvious she was complaining, just wasn't understood by anyone in the room) in his pocket. He flew over to where Aladdin and Fara were. Jasmine held the two of them in her cupped hands gingerly.

"How are you holding up, kid? _Hey_...You guys are back to normal! I mean, sort of. At least you're not puppets anymore."

"Still haven't addressed the height problem," Fara admitted, holding her skirts at the sides.

"We have to worry about it later. We have a play to finish or there are going to be some seriously angry demons ready to level Agrabah and Getzistan if we don't help the other puppets," Aladdin said.

Genie winked. "Well then, let's give 'em a show they won't forget, with a little Genie magic flare."

Aladdin raised a brow. "Wait...Where's Iago?"

Jasmine looked around. "He was behind us when we went out of the puppet show."

Genie felt Carpet tapping him on the shoulder frantically. Carpet made a series of gestures and Genie's eyes widened. "Rug Man says he ran into a couple of demons in the viewing area. They didn't look too happy."

"Carpet, why didn't you say so earlier? I don't speak...rug." Jasmine winced at her own words.

Genie grinned. "Oh it's easy, all you have to do is do a bit of this and that, and this." He made a series of motions with his hands, but Fara, Aladdin, and Jasmine just stared back, confused. Abu seemed to understand, but his enthusiasm went as quickly as it came.

Genie rubbed the back of his head. "Guess we could afford language lessons later. Probably better to save our feathered friend before his feathers get plucked."


	12. Chapter 12: Home Again, Naturally

**Chapter 12: Home Again, Naturally**

"I didn't try to steal your gold coins! I swear on my plumage! It was just an innocent bump on the waist, nothing to see here." Iago knew that was a lie, but considering the group of demons crowding him, he wanted to downplay the incident as much as possible. He tried to fly away, but the angry demons at the corner of the room kept grabbing at his tailfeathers. The commotion was starting to get the attention of the whole room. Considering the third act of the play hadn't started yet, the demons quickly grew restless.

Fitz looked from behind the curtain on the stage at the scuffle, shivering. "Man, oh man, this isn't good. We were okay keeping them at bay during the second act, but the longer we wait, the more angry they're startin' to get. The bird's not helping matters. They were supposed to be back by now."

Darbin frowned. "This is concerning. Perhaps we underestimated Mirage's powers."

Fitz gulped. "Don't remind me. I almost lost my mallets when she came marching back here asking where Aladdin was."

Aladdin whistled from a distance behind them - startling the two puppets. "Missed us?"

Fara grinned. "We're back and curse free, thankfully."

Fitz and Darbin both looked visibly relieved upon seeing them both, but Genie spoke before any of them. "Uh, hate to break up the reunion, but you guys manage the play - I'm going to distract those demons trying to pelt the bird. Capiche?"

Aladdin nodded. "Go, Genie. We can take it from here."

* * *

The remainder of the play went off with a bang, quite literally. Between Genie's flare for special effects (after leaving the squabbling demons fussing over the toy Mirage, which reduced their interest in Iago), and a few other musical numbers, the demon's erupted in thunderous applause.

What's more was the fact that Fara and Aladdin returned to their normal heights shortly after the play ended.

It was well into the night when the group sped off on Carpet to return Fara home to her family.

"Watch your step, Fara. You're probably still getting used to standing on human legs now," Aladdin said, helping her down from Carpet.

"No kidding. You think a lady like me would remember how to walk. Goodness." She looked between Aladdin and Jasmine with gratitude. "I want to thank you two for everything. Aladdin, without your courage, I would've never thought finding a cure was possible. I suppose I just didn't look hard enough."

Aladdin shrugged his shoulders, looking solemn. "You wouldn't have known Mirage had a cure, though, considering how long you were under it and the fact she didn't leave you guys alone. I can't imagine how scared you guys must've been working under her for so long."

Fitz looked up from where he stood upon Fara's left shoulder. "I'm just glad Fara's adopting me and Darbin. I don't think I wanna entertain those demons again for the rest of my threaded life."

Darbin snorted from where Fara held him in her hands. "Indeed. But I do regret parting with the other puppets. They were good company. But we are in your humble debt, all, for the price of our freedom."

"I just hope you all find yourselves a good home to return to, Darbin," Jasmine said, planting a kiss on the puppet's cheek. Darbin blushed from head to foot.

"Just a question," Genie said, addressing Fara. "What exactly are you gonna tell the family about where you've been all this time? And about the talking puppets?"

Fara waved a dismissive hand. "I think they'll believe me when I come back with these two." She gestured to Fitz and Darbin. "I have enough stories to tell them for the rest of their youth. And I imagine these two do, as well. Farewell, and may we meet again across the deserts sometime."

Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie and Abu waved to Fara and the puppets as they disappeared into their home, and the sound of excited, joyful shouts came from the small home.

"I'm glad that worked out well," Aladdin said.

"Aladdin?"

Aladdin turned to face Jasmine. "What's wrong?"

"It's just...I'm sorry, about what happened with the festival and everything. If I knew, I would've..."

He shook his head. "I'm the one that should be apologizing. I tried to make it a surprise and I should've said..."

Iago's groan interrupted them both. "Oh spare me the mushy stuff! If I knew I'd have to put up with this, I would've stayed behind in Getzistan. I was still making a good bit of moola."

Abu rubbed his hands together, reaching behind Iago where the bird had a small sack of gold coins, grabbing it before leaping off Carpet and taking off across the sands.

"Hey! That's my stash, I won that fair and square!" Iago took off flying after Abu.

Genie snorted. "Geez, you think those two would wanna go home and sleep after everything that happened today."

Aladdin laughed. "Actually, I think we've still got an arts festival to get back to, especially since everything's happening at night too. But I think we might wanna avoid doing any puppeteering for a little while."

**The End**


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